The good ol’ badminton never fails to bring out the inner child in us, doesn’t it? Well, at least it didn’t in the case of Bollywood star Deepika Padukone, who recently indulged in a sparring with ace shuttler PV Sindhu. She didn’t just end up
burning calories, but flaunted a post-game glow too, giving us a gentle and sweet reminder that badminton is, in fact, a great exercise for our body and for the mind.
Just a few days ago, Deepika and Sindhu took to their Instagram handles to share some moments from their super fun badminton session. Deepika, as fans would know, is not new to the game. Daughter of badminton great Prakash Padukone, she played the sport at the national level before modelling and acting changed the course of her life. But once a sportsperson, always a sportsperson!
“Just a regular day in my life… Burning calories with PV Sindhu,” Deepika captioned a slew of pictures from the game.
In an accompanying video, Deepika said of Sindhu: “She is practicing for the world championship, and she thought I was the best partner… you know, to prepare her.”
Sindhu, who became India’s first woman to win two Olympic medals when she scored a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year, then gives a nod to Deepika’s skills by saying: “If she would’ve played badminton, she would’ve become a top player.”
Happy to have found a “new sparring partner”, Sindhu later wrote on her Instagram, “Good fun and good game in the end Deepika. When are we doing this next?”
To that, Deepika quipped, “As soon as I recover from the last session!”
Nevertheless, the actor seemed to have soaked in the joy of indulging in badminton – a feeling that was mighty visible on her face as she shared a “post badminton glow” picture, which sent her husband Ranveer Singh, and her fans into a tizzy!
The pictures and video have of course led Bollywood’s rumour mills to run overtime on whether Deepika maybe seen in a prospective biopic on Sindhu. But at HealthShots, we got curious about how effective badminton really is as a sport for burning calories, for weight loss and for fitness in general.
“Badminton, if played in an intense fashion is amazing for burning calories (in a fun way),” Yash Vardhan Swami, an online health and fitness coach and nutritionist, tells us.
1. Body: Playing badminton regularly can indirectly work our core, shoulders and even lower body.
2. Mind: The competitiveness can help with psychological aspects and sportsman spirit too, which might help in other fields of life.
3. Heart: Burning calories at a higher heart rate would have a positive impact on overall health, including cardiovascular and lymphatic health.
Also Read: My weight loss journey took a hit, but playing badminton kick-started it again
According to the British Heart Foundation, the flexible pace of the Olympic sport makes it a great activity for those with heart conditions. It can contribute to keeping the heart healthy, and promote conditioning and strengthening of the heart muscle, reduce hypertension and limit the risk of blood vessels clogging.
The joint benefits of running, lunging, diving and hitting elements makes badminton an effective fat burner at approximately 450 calories per hour, as per multiple sources.
Since badminton is also a popular social game, it improves mental well-being by reducing stress and anxiety.
The constant movement also ensures mobility and agility, thereby increasing life expectancy.
So dear ladies, have you made up your mind about your next badminton game then?
Radhika Bhirani Radhika Bhirani is a journalist with close to 15 years of experience in the Indian media industry. After writing extensively on health, lifestyle and entertainment, she leads the English content team at Health Shots. She has a special interest in writing on mental health and wellness. ...Read More
